a heavy heart to carry
by upperleadworth
Summary: and we might just be falling a little bit- all we have to do now is run off the edge, right? Ted x Andi oneshot.


_an- So, as per usual, a Romance oneshot. But not James/Lily this time. Woo-to-the-hoo! Stepping out of the box. Anyways, I'm not sure about this... but I hope you enjoy._

_Disclaimer: Disclaimed._

* * *

_Andromeda._

She is beautiful. Nobody can deny that. (She was beautiful, before this, is what they mean.) Now, everything's changed.

**(her walk)**

Her stride used to be happy, proud, intelligent, running,_I-don't-give-a-shit._ Now, it's all dark, careless, trudging, small steps, sad, slow, _crying, _it seems.

**(her hair)**

Once, it was perfect, warm brown, matching her perfectly, neat, brushed, up, out-of-her-face, always wonderful, always so-bloody-Andromeda. Now it's dull, greasy, a mess, how-the-hell-does-she-even-manage-it.

**(her personality)**

Intelligence, a Pureblood, indifferent to your problems, cold, ready-for-anything, Head Girl. That's remained the same, in a way. She just doesn't talk much, and that bothers people. They know that she has something to say, and they also know that if a Black isn't talking much, then something's wrong. Always.

**(her mind)**

Is never like this. Ever. Until now, at least. Her mind is twisted around the fact that she's going to have to kill to succeed in life. She's going to have to do that, or lose everything, and she's not sure which option she prefers.

* * *

_Ted Tonks can read someone in an instant. He can literally steal a glance, and know if someone has something wrong with them._

_Nobody noticed that her world was crashing down but him._

"What's wrong, Black?" he asks her, his voice (just-a-little-not-quite) strangled, trying to be kind to the sister of the woman who made his life hell.

_And she doesn't want to respond. Hufflepuffs like Tonks won't understand- he hasn't grown up like she has- It was all Muggle-propaganda and hatred for her. Tonks is just a Muggleborn- a Mudblood. She scrawls out the decent-word for the bad-word in her mind._

"Nothing. Fuck off, Tonks," she says, reprimanding herself for the cursing. She is not supposed to do that.

_He is not very surprised at her reaction. He wants to talk to her, to sit near her, to just see her- and he hates her at the same time._

"No, Andromeda, I won't. Just tell me what the hell's wrong," his voice is stronger now.

_She doesn't want anything to do with a Mugglebo- Mudblood like Theodore Tonks, and he definitely does not have the right to use her first name. They hate each other, don't they? Don't they? Don't they? She doesn't even know about herself anymore._

"I will give you detention," she growls, but she isn't serious- is she?

_He almost laughs at her Professor-ness- is that even a word? In his mind it is. He refrains from sniggering, and grabs her shoulders._

"Look, Andromeda. You are going to tell me what's wrong. You need to tell someone, so why not a bored Hufflepuff? Or am I not worth your time, you _bitch?"_

_His words sting her. She doesn't know why, but what he says matters to her. He's just a Mudblood. A Mudblood. Only that. _

"Why do you have to know, anyway?" she asks, stiffening.

_He doesn't know why. Why she hasn't left, why she doesn't look offended, why he wants to know, why the hell he even cares. _

"Because, Andi," he ignores her scoffing at the nickname. "I care. I see you every day in the corridors, all dark and depressing, and you don't talk anymore. There's something wrong with that."

_This is how society works, Mudblood. Eat or be eaten. Kill or lose everything. All or nothing. But he knows that doesn't him? She doesn't know if he knows, but she might have to kill him someday. Bella might kill him one day. But if she doesn't kill, she'll be marrying Sirius, who, aside from being eight years younger, is her first (and third) cousin. Or, even if she does. She's not sure how this "society" thing worls, even though she's been raised in it perfectly, as she's been told._

"I'm either being forced to kill Muggleborns, marry my first cousin, who just so happens to be starting Hogwarts next year, or both. You happy? My sister- you know her- she's killing people, slowly going insane, and- Merlin, why the hell am I confessing?"

"_It's okay," he wants to say to her. "It'll be all right, Andi. I'm still here for you, love." He doesn't, though._

"Oh," and all he does is stroke her arm, like he cares.

(Maybe he does. Does he? Does he?)

_What? Why would a Mudbloo- Muggleborn- care? What the fuck's going on? Holy- I need to stop cursing, its unladylike- oh, damn the ladylikeness! Who even cares? It's not like anyone's watching me!_

"Thank you for listening, Ted," her voice is soft, but not at its usual deadliness. Kindness, even.

"Any time, Andi," he smiles.

* * *

Their talks become normal occurrences. Anything that was bothering them, they would just let loose.

"I'll make sure Dolohov has hell to pay- I can get into his dorm and hex him."

"Andromeda Black, hexing? I've never heard of such madness."

"Ted, I want to escape all of the shit I was raised in."

"I could help with that, you know."

That was when they shared their first kiss. It was a joke, but they enjoyed it, passionate, fun, free.

* * *

"Andromeda, are you still seeing that Tonks Mudblood?" Narcissa's long, blonde hair is flipped over her back after she asks her question.

"No, Narcissa. Why would you even think that I see him in the first place? He is a Mudblood, remember?" Andromeda hates the overall stiffness of talking to her gorgeous, strong, proper, ladylike, (perfect) little sister.

"I've seen you in the library_, laughing_, Andromeda. I know when you are enjoying yourself-"

"I was not enjoying myself. I was just studying, and he said something humorous. Nothing else," Andromeda hates all this shit that she has to pretend is real. She doesn't hate Ted, she doesn't hate Muggles. Fuck all this.

"All right, but I suggest that you move out of your 'study group'," Narcissa wrinkles he nose and then struts away, perfection with her, and Andromeda is free for a moment.

She hates all this. Her family and its stupid hatred of everything. She hates all the stupid prejudice. She hates that she'll probably be no different than Cissy or Bella. She hates that it's hard to see Ted, now.

She hates everything except Ted.

* * *

"Andi, are you sure you wanna do this?" Ted asks, unsure of what he's about to do in front of everyone.

"Ted, it'll help me break away, and you'll be with me. Happily ever afters only come after the two main characters kiss, right?" Andromeda says, confident.

"Oh, so I'm just a character to you now?" he smirks.

"Oh, would you stop mocking me?" she laughs, not noticing a blond head whipping back around the corner.

The next day, Narcissa hisses to her at the breakfat table- "You fucking traitor!"- in a very un-Narcissa-like manner.

The plan, however, goes perfectly. He walks up to her, asking if he can give him a copy of her Potions notes- he lost his- and she leans in towards him, and they do one of their trademark snogs.

That is, until Narcissa slaps his hand away from her sister.

"You… You… Mudblood! You... You...!"

There is a general disgusted outcry at the Slytherin table, some cheering from the Hufflepuffs, and some odd stares from the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.

"So, Prince Charming, when's our happily ever after?" she says, giving a devious smirk.

"Now," he says, and they walk off into their palace.

Together.

* * *

_Review, maybe?_

_Love you all._

_~Blue_


End file.
